Too Easy to Kill: Gun Violence in America

Jewish tradition emphasizes the sanctity and primary value of human life. The Bible commands us, “Thou shalt not murder.” The Talmud teaches us, “He who takes one life it is as though he has destroyed the universe, and he who saves one life it is as though he has saved the universe.” In an increasingly impersonal society, the dehumanizing of the human being and the carelessness with which human life is taken stand in direct violation of these affirmations of our tradition. About nothing is this more true than the 32,000 lives lost every year in America due to gun violence.

Selling weapons without restriction or limitation “strengthens the hands of an evil doer and causes them to transgress” (Hilkhot Roseah 12:4). This conversation has always been a moral one. We must find a way within the legal and constitutional framework to ensure that guns do not end up in the hands of those who wish to inflict harm on others. The first step – banning high capacity ammunition clips from America’s streets. To learn more, take a look at this video blog: